Lighter with replaceable fuel cartridge



June 14, 1955 FISCHER ETAL 2,710,533

' LIGHTER WITH REPLACEABLE FUEL CARTRIDGE Filed July 17, 1950 Zhwentorjg B HOWARD L. FISCHER JACK w. wucxs United States Patent f LIGHTER WITHREPLACEABLE FUEL CARTRIDGE Howard L. Fischer and Jack W. Wicks, St.Paul, Minn., assignors to Brown & Bigelow, St. Paul, Minus, a corporation of Minnesota Application July 17, 1950, Serial No. 174,263

4 Claims. (Cl. 67-11) This invention relates to a simple ignitionlighter mechanism which can be attached to a cartridge "containing aliquified fuel under pressure, such as butane, propane, and similarfuels which are adapted to turn into a gas upon being released into theatmosphere from the reservoir or container.

A feature resides in the combination of a cartridge which carries asupply of liquified fuel and the neck of which is threaded so as toreceive the lighter unit which includes a fuel release valve whichpermits the fuel from the cartridge to leak slowly through the same, asnufier cap, and a pyrophoric flint and abrading wheel to direct a sparkover the nozzle of the lighter unit. This combination of elementsincluding mainly the cartridge holding a supply of compressed fuel forthe flameof the lighter and the lighter unit provide the essentialelements of the combination which produce a simple inexpensive lighter,either of the pocket type or a desk type, and wherein a large number oflights are obtainable from the cartridge without replacing the same.

A further feature resides in providing a lighter wherein a new cartridgemay be readily attached to the ignition unit mechanism, and the oldcartridge can be discarded, or the cartridge may be refilled so that itmay again'be attached to the lighter unit. Where the cartridge isrefilled, it may be used over and'over again, and'thIl Provide aneconomical means of supplying new cartridges of fuel to the user of thelighter.

A further feature resides in providingthe ignition unit which does notuse a wick like the old gasoline typelighters which required cleaning ofthe wick from time to time to keep the lighter in good condition.

In this lighter the nozzle is formed with a hollow passageway which isnormally closed by a spring urged snutfer valve having a soft seatclosing the passageway in the nozzle. The lighter unit is operated bylifting the snuiier cap andsimultaneously-throw-ing a spark over thenozzle out of which the gas is escaping from the cartridge.

It is also a feature to provide a lighter unit mechanism which is formedwith a piercing member to pierce the seal of the cartridge in theattaching of the lighter unit to the cartridge or the element whichopens the cartridge may be in the form of a member or means whichcontacts the stem of the valve which normally closes the cartridge whilethe same is in storage and unitl it is adapted for use.

The cartridges for the fuel may be round, flat, or any suitable shape,and are adapted to provide the body of the lighter being formed with athreaded neck so that the lighter unit may be attached or disengagedfrom the cartridge at will.

All of the features and details, together with the objects, will be morefully hereinafter defined.

In the drawings forming part of the specifications:

Figure 1 is an enlarged sectional view of the lighter unit showing thesame attached to a cartridge which provides a supply of fuel.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail side elevation of my 2 lighter looking inthe direction along line 2-2 of Figure 1. v

Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a sectional detail ofthe fuel cartridge showing a closure valve for the same.

The drawings illustrate the removable ignition lighter unit A which isadapted to be attached to the fuel cartridge B by means of the threadedneck 11% formed on the cartridge B which engages the complementalthreads 11 formed in the casing 12 of the lighter unit A.

The unit A includes a hollow flame nozzle 13 with the passageway 14formed extending through the same and through which the gas from thereservoir B escapes when the lighter unit A is operated.

The unit A also includes a snuifer valve 15 which is urged by theignition springs 16 into closed position and which is provided with asoft cushion closure 17. The snulier valve 15 is opened or raised awayfrom the nozzle 13 by engagement with the rearwardly and upwardlyproje'cting ears 18. When the ears 1% are engaged to raise the valve 15,a spark from the pyrophoric element 19 is directed across the open endof the nozzle 13 by the flint wheel 20 which abrades the flint element19 and is operated by the pressure of the operators finger on the teethof the abrading wheel simultaneously with the engagement and operationof the cars 18 in a downward direction as indicated by the arrow inFigure l.

The valve 15 normally closes the opening 14 in the nozzle 13 andprevents any gas from escaping from the cartridge'B. The chamber 21 ofthe cartridge B is substantially filled with absorbentcotton 22 which isadapted tobe virtually saturated with the butane or propane liquid fuelordinarily contained within the cartridge B. I

In the cartridge 13 illustrated in Figure 1 the core of the valve 13 isformed with a downwardly piercing element 23 which pierces the cap 24-wh-ich normally seals the cartridge 13. The piercing operation by theelement 23 takes place when the unit A is attached to the car tridge andas illustrated in Figure 1.

The passageway 14 through the nozzle 13 is formed near its lower endwith an obstruction 24' 'so-as to reduce the size of the opening 14 in amanner to form a minute passageway for the gas from the chamber 21. Inthis manner, the gas from the chamber 21 of the cartridge B is caused toslowly leak through the nozzle 13 When the valve 15 is elevated. 'Theleak is obtained by a predetermined seating of the obstruction 24 in thepassageway 14 near the lower end thereof and is governed by the size offlame that is desired at the top of the nozzle 13. The nozzle 13 is heldin position by the collar-25, and a sealing ring 26prevents leakage ofthe gas around the nozzle in the unit A. v

The cartridge 13 may be' formed with a releasable 'valve C which ispositioned in the neck 27 of the same and is provided with a stem 28which opens the valve when the unit A is attached to the cartridge bythe engagement of the stem 28 on the bottom of the nozzle body 13.

When the cartridge B is equipped with a valve C in the same, thecartridge may be normally closed by the valve itself, and in addition acap 29 is provided which carries a sealing rubber washer 30, thusmaintaining a tight seal on the cartridge B for storage, shipment, andin the handling of the same before the cartridge is attached to thelighter ignition unit A.

A feature of this lighter resides in its extreme simplicity where apocket lighter of comparatively small size may be obtained with a smallsize lighter unit A detachably secured to the cartridge and wherein thelighter unit is of extremely simple construction, thus providing aneconomical means of manufacturing a lighter which is adapted to besupplied with fuel by replaceable cartridges. While the cartridges maybe covered with any form of decorated casing, they may be also made ofaluminum which can be anodized in different colors to make the body ofthe cartridge attractive and to provide a wear resistant surface to thecartridge. Further, the cartridge for the fuel supply may be formedround, oblong or flat, however with a preferably threaded neck which canbe attached readily to the lighter unit A, and the cartridge may becovered with leather for decorative purposes, or any other suitablematerial. In fact, they may be enameled in different colors if desired,thereby providing a very attractive lighter.

When the cartridge B is filled with cotton 22 and the valve C isinserted in the neck 27 of the cartridge, we provide a protective screenfor the lower working end of the valve which holds the cotton 22 awayfrom the valve. Thus, the valve C is free to operate withoutinterference from the cotton within the cartridge.

A primary feature resides in the combination of a detachable lighterunit with a closure valve, means for attaching the same to a cartridge,and the cartridge for the fuel which may be readily replaced for afilled cartridge, and in the use of a cartridge which contains a valveand cap for closing the same, all of which elements operate as acombination to provide a wickless lighter which is of a desirable designand construction to make an attractive cigarette lighter in aneconomical manner.

We claim:

1. In a cigarette lighter, a cap member having an opening extendingtherethrough and threads formed in the lower and upper ends thereof,shoulder means formed internally of and intermediate the ends of saidcap member, a nozzle positioned on said shoulder and extending outwardlyof the upper end of said cap member, a slow leak gas passageway formedthrough said nozzle, a threaded collar adapted to engage the threads ofthe upper end of said cap member and bear against the top end of saidnozzle to secure the same against said shoulder, a spring urged closurecap for said nozzle pivotally mounted on said cap member, said closurecap having finger engageable means, a flint abrading Wheel rotatablymounted on said cap member adjacent said finger engageable means, aspring urged flint mounted in said cap member adjacent said flintabrading wheel, a cartridge member having a supply of liquefiedpetroleum fuel and formed with a threaded neck portion adapted to engagethe lower threaded portion of said cap member and means for puncturingthe top of said cartridge as the same is screwed into position in saidcap member.

2. A cigarette lighter comprising a hand engageable cartridgecontaininga supply of liquefied petroleum fuel, a cap-like member for saidcartridge having an opening formed therethrough, means for connectingsaid cap-like member to the top of said cartridge, a nozzle, means formaintaining a seal between said nozzle and the inner surface of said capmember, a slow leak gas passageway formed through said nozzle, means forpuncturing the top of said cartridge when the same is connected to saidcap member, a spring urged nozzle closure member pivotally mounted onsaid cap member, a flint abrading wheel rotatably mounted on said capmember and adapted to be actuated simultaneously with the pivoting ofsaid closure member, and a flint mounted in said cap member in contactwith said flint abrading wheel.

3. In a cigarette lighter, a substantially cylindrical cap supportmember, a substantially cylindrical nozzle member, means for securingsaid nozzle in said support member, a slow leak gas passageway formedthrough said nozzle, threaded means formed on the lower end of saidsupport, a cartridge containing a supply of liquefied petroleum havingthreaded means adapted to engage with said threaded means of saidsupport, means in said support for puncturing the top of said cartridgewhen the same is screwed into said support, a flint, means forsupporting said flint in said cap support, a shaft mounted on said capsupport member, a flint abrading wheel mounted on said shaft in contactwith said flint, a spring urged cap member for said nozzle pivotallymounted on said shaft and operable in conjunction with said flintabrading wheel, a soft valve closure member mounted on said cap memberadapted to close against said nozzle member when said cap member ispivoted downwardly and open said nozzle when said cap member is raised.

4. A cigarette lighter comprising a substantially cylindrical topsupport member having threads formed in the lower end thereof, a gassupply cartridge member having threads formed thereon adapted to engagesaid threads of said top support member, a cylindrical plug-like nozzlemember, means for securing said nozzle member in said support member, aslow leak gas passageway formed through said nozzle, a longitudinallyextending projecting portion along one side of said top support member,an opening extending through said projecting portion, a flint and springmounted in said extended opening, a flint abrading wheel mounted on saidtop support member in contact with said flint for abrading the same, aspring urged cap member pivotally mounted on said support member havingfinger engageable ear members extending therefrom positioned on eachside of said flint abrading wheel, said cap member having a cushionmember secured thereto adapted to contact said nozzle and close 011 saidpassageway and open said passageway when said ear members are moveddownwardly in conjunction with simultaneous rotation of said flintabrading wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,015,987 Bijur et al. Jan. 30, 1912 1,895,032 Fisher Ian. 24, 19332,372,392 Pletman Mar. 27, 1945 2,511,997 Ruetz June 20, 1950 2,561,270Felt July 17, 1951 2,565,903 Zelbweger Aug. 25, 1951 2,617,286 PrusackNov. 11, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 599,062 Great Britain Mar. 3, 1948 723,190France Jan. 12, 1932 885,677 France June 7, 1943

2. A CIGARETTE LIGHTER COMPRISING A HAND ENGAGEABLE CARTRIDGE CONTAININGA SUPPLY OF LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM FUEL, A CAP-LIKE MEMBER FOR SAIDCARTRIDGE HAVING AN OPENING FORMED THERETHROUGH, MEANS FOR CONNECTINGSAID CAP-LIKE MEMBER TO THE TOP OF SAID CARTRIDGE, A NOZZLE, MEANS FORMAINTAINING A SEAL BETWEEN SAID NOZZLE AND THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID CAPMEMBER, A SLOW LEAK GAS PASSAGEWAY FORMED THROUGH SAID NOZZLE, MEANS FORPUNCTURING THE TOP OF SAID CARTRIDGE WHEN THE SAME IS CONNECTED TO SAIDCAP MEMBER, A SPRING URGED NOZZLE CLOSURE MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ONSAID CAP MEMBER, A FLINT ABRADING WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CAPMEMBER AND ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE PIVOTING OFSAID CLOSURE MEMBER, AND A FLINT MOUNTED IN SAID CAP MEMBER IN CONTACTWITH SAID FLINT ABRADING WHEEL.